The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[Captain Obvious]

Did that Ambrose fella play v Barcelona?

Yes but he didn't have to fly back from South Africa, right after playing all the way through to the AcoN  final, to make it to Glasgow the morning of the game.

A gamble by Lennon that backfired.

[bannside]

The performance was unreal from Celtic. Even though the history books might protray this as a shooting in match for the Italians, we know that it was in fact the reverse. To be honest I cant remember Celtic playing better for manys a long year. 

Makes you wonder though why we cant play like this a bit more often!

[johnneycool]

The performance was unreal from Celtic. Even though the history books might protray this as a shooting in match for the Italians, we know that it was in fact the reverse. To be honest I cant remember Celtic playing better for manys a long year. 

Makes you wonder though why we cant play like this a bit more often!

Juve soaked up the Celts pressure well, can't remember Buffon every really tested much other than some decent shots right down his gullet.

Celts did play some good stuff but you just got the feeling that they were never going to sustain that amount of effort the whole game and alas they run out of steam with 15 minutes or so to go. They need the equaliser in the first 15 minutes after half time, but it didn't come.

That's a pretty good Juve team and they'll take some beating, no shame in that.

[EC Unique]

The performance was unreal from Celtic. Even though the history books might protray this as a shooting in match for the Italians, we know that it was in fact the reverse. To be honest I cant remember Celtic playing better for manys a long year. 

Makes you wonder though why we cant play like this a bit more often!

It was obvious that Juve were set up to defend deep and hit on the break. I think this tactic by them made Celtic's efforts look better. It worked a treat for Juve.

[tyroneStatto]

when you think of the commons effort that just went past the post, the ambrose sitter, and the fact at least 1 penalty should have been awarded - it was a game that could have ended 3-3. 

[Canalman]

Steep  and harsh lesson for NL and his team.

While watching the game we  were actually discussing  at nil - one down  in the 2nd half  whether Celtic should accept the result  and drop back as Juventus would do likewise. Cavalier attacking by them killed the tie stone dead in the 1st leg.

Have to say I thought the Juventus defence were well entitled to battle the ground in front of the keeper at deadball situations and that the pundits etc were just being hysterical. From what I saw the defenders had the hands out/ palms wide open at all times and there was never going to be a penalty. The Celtic lads just got outmuscled/ outsmarted as the Italians obviously had their homework done.

Celtic are great to look at but I think their fortune favours the brave type luck just ran out.

[Declan]

While watching the game we  were actually discussing  at nil - one down  in the 2nd half  whether Celtic should accept the result  and drop back as Juventus would do likewise. Cavalier attacking by them killed the tie stone dead in the 1st leg.

+1-Naive in the extreme. A one nil deficit wouldn't have been a bad result

[Main Street]

However the cavalier attacking would have cut the mustard in the event of the centre halves doing their usual job.
And Commons on another night would have directed one of his shots the way he usually does.

Somewhat ironic that Juve's first goal was a nicely executed hoof ball

[Billys Boots]

While watching the game we  were actually discussing  at nil - one down  in the 2nd half  whether Celtic should accept the result  and drop back as Juventus would do likewise. Cavalier attacking by them killed the tie stone dead in the 1st leg.

+1-Naive in the extreme. A one nil deficit wouldn't have been a bad result

True, the pressure would have been on Juve to attack in Turin - now they'll sit back and defend in exactly the same way as last night.  Tie over.

[Harold Disgracey]

Hastily edited!

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alberto_Undiano_Mallenco&oldid=537936363

[Main Street]

While watching the game we  were actually discussing  at nil - one down  in the 2nd half  whether Celtic should accept the result  and drop back as Juventus would do likewise. Cavalier attacking by them killed the tie stone dead in the 1st leg.

+1-Naive in the extreme. A one nil deficit wouldn't have been a bad result

True, the pressure would have been on Juve to attack in Turin - now they'll sit back and defend in exactly the same way as last night.  Tie over.

I wouldn't regard Celtics' tactics on the night as naive in the extreme.
That's hindsight talking in the perspective of two awful defending errors by the CL standards of Celtic's defending.
A one nil victory to Juve would have been regarded by them as a very successful outcome and the tie already settled.

What other team apart from Norway in Drillo's prime of negative football, would come out and defend a one nil deficit in the home leg of a 2 leg tie?

[stew]

Steep  and harsh lesson for NL and his team.

While watching the game we  were actually discussing  at nil - one down  in the 2nd half  whether Celtic should accept the result  and drop back as Juventus would do likewise. Cavalier attacking by them killed the tie stone dead in the 1st leg.

Have to say I thought the Juventus defence were well entitled to battle the ground in front of the keeper at deadball situations and that the pundits etc were just being hysterical. From what I saw the defenders had the hands out/ palms wide open at all times and there was never going to be a penalty. The Celtic lads just got outmuscled/ outsmarted as the Italians obviously had their homework done.

Celtic are great to look at but I think their fortune favours the brave type luck just ran out.

You are talking about professional footballers here, they are not wired to take a one nil defeat, that would have been madness considering they were playing at home against a world powerhouse in Juventus.

Fortune favors the brave? they played Barca twice, beat them once and but for a last gasp goal by Messi they would have taken a point in Spain, that's not luck, (well maybe a wee bit) that was intelligent game management and absolute and total commitment to the jersey and the fans in the stands.

[T Fearon]

Just saw Celtic lose a Champions League tie in my presence for the first time ever at Celtic Park last night. The early goal was a real killer for both the team and the crowd sadly.Wouldn't blame Ambrose so much, okay he made a mistake, but really the pre Christmas Fraser Forster would have read the situation and moved quickly off his line to clear. I reckon Neil believed Ambrose when he said he was up for playing and probably reckoned his confidence would be sky high as well after Nigeria's success.

When Celtic upset the odds in these games its usually due to them not conceding anything in the first half and scoring the first goal themselves. The concession of a sloppy early goal last night was a real shame

[qubdub]

NL was nuts to play Ambrose, he's been away from the team for whatever length of time, just off a flight from South Africa that morning after winning the ACON, so I'm assuming hadn't even trained with the team in the lead up to the match. Also no doubt mentally and physically fatigued after playing in a different climate, timezone etc.

Hard to blame Lennon though, Celtic played fantastic positive football, big Samaras would have been good for an aerial threat, Hooper didn't look his best. The only player who played poorly was Ambrose and there were good reasons for that. Flattering scoreline for Juve, hopefully Celtic give a good account of themselves in the return leg in Turin.

ps the officiating was a joke re set plays, at one stage one of the Juve players hauled Brown to the ground and then threw himself to the ground straight after to make it look as if they were both at it! No class out of that lot.

[T Fearon]

Easy to be wise after the event, but Ambrose's pace would have been seen to be crucial against Juve, and I assume the medical staff would have checked him out and confirmed his fitness etc. Lennon saying himself it was just a mistake and commented that he showed no signs of fatigue and was sharp after the first goal. Pity the headed chance didnt fall onto the head of a striker!

Still a brilliant campaign, with both Barcelona and Juvenus coming to Glasgow on Champs League business when last August more than a few Celtic fans seriously doubted whether the team could even get into the Group stages.